Fuse receptacle

ABSTRACT

A fuse receptacle, an electrical fuse holder device in the form of a small plastic case which can be safely handled and with a removable cover to provide access to the fuses, also with a pair of standard external metal plug contacts on one end of the case, called front end, and a pair of internal metal receptacle contacts enclosed in the other end and which same contacts are so positioned in the main body of the plastic case that a pair of standard plug contacts similar to same on the front end can be inserted through access slots in the case into contact with the internal receptacle contacts. The external and internal conductors on each side can be eletrically connected inside the case by a fuse placed in fuse clips attached to the top of each of the conductor parts.

United States Patent" [191 Holoka FUSE RECEPTACLE [76] Inventor: Alexander Holoka, 417 N. Clark St.,

1 Chicago, 111. 60610 [22] Filed: Dec. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 313,125

Primary Examiner-J. D. Miller Assistant Exar n irir F red E. Bell 1 Sept. 3, 1974 5 7 ABSTRACT A fuse receptacle, an electrical fuse holder device in the form of a small plastic case which can be safely handled and with a removable cover to provide access to the fuses, also with a pair of standard external metal plug contacts on one end of the case, called front end, and a pair of internal metal receptacle contacts enclosed in the other end and which same contacts are so positioned in the main body of the plastic case that a pair of standard plug contacts similar to same on the front end can be inserted through access slots in the case into contact with the internal receptacle contacts. The external and internal conductors on each side can be eletrically connected inside the case by a fuse placed in fuse clips attached to the top of each of the conductor parts.

9 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures FUSE RECEPTACLE BRIEF SUMMARY In general, the fuse receptacle device is intended to be used in the standard 110 volt domestic electrical power lines and in particular with the standard plug-in receptacle devices used to put an appliance circuit in contact with the same power lines, that is, by inserting the external conductors of a standard plug device which is connected to an appliance into a wall outlet receptacle or other receptacle device which is connected to the power lines and which same contact device is generally used for current applications of amp or less. The fuse receptacle device is intended to be used for current applications of 10 amp or less, also the fuse to be used in the same device is not a part thereof, but is a standard type of fuse in general use with the fuse element enclosed in a glass tube with metal end caps.

The main purpose of the fuse receptacle device is for use with small appliances to protect same from a large surge of current, also can be used to protect equipment used in electrical tests as in radio repair and similar uses. Another object, of important practical value, the device can be put into use easily, quickly and safely and is also quickly interchangeable for different applications. Also the device opens a wider field of fuse vprotection where the use of a standard fuse block or other fuse holder device, in which wire connections must be made before using same, is impractical.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a pictorial view showing the manner in which the fuse receptacle device is used and how it is connected to a wall outlet receptacle and to an appliance cord plug.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fuse receptacle device in which the plastic case is shown as separated with the cover above and the bottom plate below the main body to which all the other parts of the device are attached.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the type of fuse to be used in the device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the metal plug contact parts, less the fuse clip.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one of the metal receptacle contact parts, less the fuse clip.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the metal fuse clips.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the device, less the cover, as indicated by view lines 7--7 in FIG. 2 with the lower part shown in section slightly below the top surface of the main body of the plastic case.

FIG. 8 is a side view shown in section as indicated by section lines 88 in FIG. 7 with cover in place and less the fuse.

FIG. 9 is an end view shown in section as indicated by section lines 9-9 in FIG. 8 with fuses in place.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION The front, or plug end of the fuse receptacle device 10 is shown in FIG. 1 as pulled out a short distance from a wall outlet receptacle l2 and a plug 11 connected to an electric drill 14 as similarly pulled out from the receptacle end of the device 10. The plastic case of the device 10 consists of 3 parts, or cover 15, main body 16, and bottom plate 17. The cover '15 is formed to be close fitting to the fuse 18 assembly on top of main body 16 and is held in place by a single screw in hole 15a in the top center of cover 15 into a tapped hole in the top center of the raised barrier 16a of main body 16. The cover 15 is located in place and further strengthened from the inside of the cover sides by a raised bead 16b on each side and ends on top of main body 16. The raised bead 16b and the center barrier 16a are mold formed with main body 16, also both ends of center barrier 16a are recessed on both sides to provide space for fuse clips 21, also same 16a is a barrier to prevent the fuse clips 21 from contacting same on the other side.

The metal conductor parts 19 and 20 are held in place in main body 16 in such manner that no screws or other metal fasteners are required, as the conductor parts 19 and 20 are formed with bottom flanges 19a and 20a and end flanges 19b and 20b and the plastic main body 16 is formed with close fitting main slots to fit the main body of the conductor parts 19 and 20 and end slots 16d and l6e to fit end flanges 19b and 20b and also recesses 16g and 16h in the bottom of main body 16 to fit the bottom flanges 19a and 20a and the conductors 19 and 20 can be placed into these same slots in main body 16 only from the bottom side of same 16 and after so assembled, the bottom plate 17 is then cement-bonded to bottom side of main body 16, thus locking the metal conductor parts 19 and 20 securely in place. The bottom plate 17 is located in place by recess 17d formed to fit the bottom side of the main body 16.

The fuse clips 21, formed to hold the fuse 18 in place, can be attached to the top or sides of conductor parts 19 and 20, also fuse clip 21 and receptacle conductor 20 can be formed of one or more pieces, metal-bonded or crimped together. The receptacle conductor parts 20 are formed as a rectangular tube with a leaf spring contact 20d inside and into which a pair of standard plug conductors similar to conductor parts 19 of a plug device can be inserted through access slots 16f in main body 16 and held in contact by leaf spring 20d. The hole 19d in conductor part 19 is standard in diameter and location. Also the manner in which the metal conductor parts are made can depend on the manufacturing facilities available, but the form of the same parts would remain substantially the same as described above and as shown in the drawing.

I claim:

1. In a fuse receptacle, an electrical fuse holder device, to be used in connection with the standard receptacle and plug contact means between an appliance and a power source, comprised of a plastic case and a set of metal parts fixed in place therein, the plastic parts consisting of a main body, a bottom plate and a fuse cover, and the metal parts consisting of a pair of standard parallel external plug contacts of which about one-half the total length of each is fixed in the same main body, a pair of parallel internal receptacle contact parts enclosed and fixed in the other end of the same main body and spaced apart to receive a pair of standard plug contacts, a fuse clip fixed in contact with each of the same plug contacts and receptacle contacts, those parts of the same metal parts and those parts of same plastic parts, the main body together with the bottom plate cemented in place thereto, which constitute the self locking means by which the same metal contact parts are securely and rigidly locked in place in the same plastic parts.

2. In claim 1, in the said main body part, the pair of parallel plug contact main slots, the pair of parallel receptacle contact main slots, the short end slot and a bottom recess on each side of each of the same main slots, which same slots and recesses constitute the self locking means wherein the said metal contact parts are fixed in position, also in same main body part, the pair of access slots to the said internal receptacle contacts, also in same main body a bottom plate locating recess in the sides thereof, also a center barrier on the top surface of same main body.

3. In claim 1 the said bottom plate locking means whereby the metal parts are locked in place in the said main body part, and the raised edge locating means of said bottom plate.

4. A pair of parallel plug contact main slots and a pair of receptacle contact main slots identical to same as in claim 2, except that same slots also have self locking fuse clip recesses formed therein consisting of a pair of side clearance recesses and a pair of bottom locking recesses in each slot.

5. In claim 1 the said pair of plug contacts, formed of folded sheet metal, and the self locking means thereof consisting of a short end flange and a bottom flange on each side of the main body of each of the same plug contact parts.

6. In claim 1 the same pair of receptacle contacts, formed of sheet metal, each comprised of three parts, a channel shaped outer casing with a short locking means flange on the end of each leg thereof, a channel shaped inner casing with a short locking means flange on each side of one end thereof, and a leaf spring with a hook formed on one end by which means same spring is fixed to same inner casing part by crimping the same hook to one flange thereof.

7. A leaf spring identical to said leaf spring as in claim 6 except length from free end is increased one-half the length of the said inner casing part and that same length folded back to the concave side forming a double leaf spring.

8. A main body with fuse cover identical to a main body with fuse cover as in claim 1 except that the plane of the mating line between the fuse cover and the main body is about one-half the distance between the top surface of the main body and the bottom surface of the fuse cover top, wherein the parts below that same plane of separation are a part of the main body and the parts above are a part of the fuse cover.

9. A self locking fuse clip identical to fuse clip as in claim 1, except with an added spaced pair of legs of same width as, and extending below same fuse clip with a simple locking means hook on each end thereof. 

1. In a fuse receptacle, an electrical fuse holder device, to be used in connection with the standard receptacle and plug contact means between an appliance and a power source, comprised of a plastic case and a set of metal parts fixed in place therein, the plastic parts consisting of a main body, a bottom plate and a fuse cover, and the metal parts consisting of a pair of standard parallel external plug contacts of which about one-half the total length of each is fixed in the same main body, a pair of parallel internal receptacle contact parts enclosed and fixed in the other end of the same main body and spaced apart to receive a pair of standard plug contacts, a fuse clip fixed in contact with each of the same plug contacts and receptacle contacts, those parts of the same metal parts and those parts of same plastic parts, the main body together with the bottom plate cemented in place thereto, which constitute the self locking means by which the same metal contact parts are securely and rigidly locked in place in the same plastic parts.
 2. In claim 1, in the said main body part, the pair of parallel plug contact main slots, the pair of parallel receptacle contact main slots, the sHort end slot and a bottom recess on each side of each of the same main slots, which same slots and recesses constitute the self locking means wherein the said metal contact parts are fixed in position, also in same main body part, the pair of access slots to the said internal receptacle contacts, also in same main body a bottom plate locating recess in the sides thereof, also a center barrier on the top surface of same main body.
 3. In claim 1 the said bottom plate locking means whereby the metal parts are locked in place in the said main body part, and the raised edge locating means of said bottom plate.
 4. A pair of parallel plug contact main slots and a pair of receptacle contact main slots identical to same as in claim 2, except that same slots also have self locking fuse clip recesses formed therein consisting of a pair of side clearance recesses and a pair of bottom locking recesses in each slot.
 5. In claim 1 the said pair of plug contacts, formed of folded sheet metal, and the self locking means thereof consisting of a short end flange and a bottom flange on each side of the main body of each of the same plug contact parts.
 6. In claim 1 the same pair of receptacle contacts, formed of sheet metal, each comprised of three parts, a channel shaped outer casing with a short locking means flange on the end of each leg thereof, a channel shaped inner casing with a short locking means flange on each side of one end thereof, and a leaf spring with a hook formed on one end by which means same spring is fixed to same inner casing part by crimping the same hook to one flange thereof.
 7. A leaf spring identical to said leaf spring as in claim 6 except length from free end is increased one-half the length of the said inner casing part and that same length folded back to the concave side forming a double leaf spring.
 8. A main body with fuse cover identical to a main body with fuse cover as in claim 1 except that the plane of the mating line between the fuse cover and the main body is about one-half the distance between the top surface of the main body and the bottom surface of the fuse cover top, wherein the parts below that same plane of separation are a part of the main body and the parts above are a part of the fuse cover.
 9. A self locking fuse clip identical to fuse clip as in claim 1, except with an added spaced pair of legs of same width as, and extending below same fuse clip with a simple locking means hook on each end thereof. 